Providence Man Found Guilty of Attempted Murder, Gun Charges

Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin announced that Francisco Diaz (age 33), with a last known address of 512 Chalkstone Blvd., Providence, was found guilty on Friday of two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon in a dwelling with the intent to commit murder, one count of discharge of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime resulting in injury, one count of use of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime, and one count of carrying a pistol without a license. 

The jury returned the guilty verdict in less than three hours after a weeklong trial presided over by Superior Court Justice Robert D. Krause.
 
During the course of the trial, the State proved that on April 23, 2014, Diaz attempted to kill his estranged girlfriend and her mother.  On the afternoon of April 23, the defendant arrived at the Oxford Street residence of his estranged girlfriend’s parents, where she had been staying since she left him a couple weeks prior. 
 
After a brief talk on the front porch, the victim attempted to go back inside when the defendant forced his way into the foyer. As the two began to argue in the foyer, the defendant pulled a revolver from the waistband of his pants and threatened to kill her mother.
 
The victim’s mother heard the commotion and her daughter telling her to stay where she was.  The victim’s mother came into the parlor where the defendant fired the weapon, striking the woman in the upper chest area.
 
Next, Diaz turned the gun on his estranged girlfriend, forced her to kneel and put the barrel of the gun up to her head and fired.  The gun failed to fire.  As he fidgeted with the gun, the victim was able to run to her mother. The defendant fled the scene. 
 
Diaz was arrested several days later in the Bronx.   He has been held without bail since his arrest.
 
Providence Police Detective Charles Boranian and Koren Garcia led the investigation.  Assistant Attorney General Daniel Carr Guglielmo and Special Assistant Attorney General Kate Brody prosecuted the case on behalf of the Office of Attorney General.